The Legend of Robin Hood
by PlainJane101
Summary: Born into a family of thieves, Adrari finds herself torn from the moment of birth between her father and mother. All that changes after one fateful decision and she finds herself running for her life. With only the clothes on her back, she finds herself joining Riften's Thieves Guild. She thinks she finally found safety, but she only finds more danger. BrynjolfXOC.
1. Prologue

**Hey, guys. I did start writing another story called A Second Chance, but I decided that my character needed a bit more of a background. So here it is. Tell me what you think and I'll update as soon as I can. :) Sit back, relax and enjoy!**

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Prologue

Robin Hood – a legend. Just a step below the Gray Fox, anyone who whispered his name felt that chill slip down their spine. He was a master with the bow and a pro at thieving. One quick look at him and one would mistake him for the common thief, but he was different. No Daedric Prince guided his luck. His skill was not as great as the Gray Fox. What set him apart was his thieving philosophy. Every thief, even the Great Gray Fox, believed in stealing from the rich in order to make themselves wealthy. Robin Hood was different.

He was born and raised in extreme poverty, but when he saw how the greedy rich kept their abundance for themselves, he became determined to take it for himself and for those who desperately needed it. So he began to steal from the elite who held much greed in their hearts. He began with little things like their sweet rolls and baked potatoes to feed his little brother and mother. As he sharpened his skills, he started to take their septims and their rings. He would barter the stolen goods with his honeyed words and give the coin to his family and to other poor beggars that he saw in the streets of Cyrodiil.

His name was whispered amongst the poor in abandoned, rotted buildings. One knows how this kind of gossip spreads like fire to a dried forest. A reputation shot up from the lowest of poverty to the Emperor. Though his true name was Malpen Desidenius, people began referring to him as Robin Hood. Why? Because the hood he always wore was as red as a robin's belly. As his name began to filter through the streets, the Thieves Guild in the Imperial City caught wind of him. The Thieves Guild started to receive 'false glory'. Many thought that the Thieves Guild was starting to give to the poor. True, they defended the poor under the Gray Fox, but they never gave to the poor to the great extent Robin Hood did. The Gray Fox himself did not like how his name was being changed by this 'Robin Hood'. Cyrodiil was his territory and there was only one breed of thieves in Cyrodiil…the Gray Fox's thieves.

One night, the Gray Fox set out to track down the young Robin Hood. With Nocturnal's Cowl on his head, he snuck up behind Malpen as he took a beautiful gold candlestick with rubies embedded into it off the shelf.

"What do you think you're doing, Robin Hood?" The young imperial boy froze in his movement. No one could sneak up on him, no one…except one. "Gray Fox." The Gray Fox chuckled at the boy's realization. "Indeed. What are you doing?"

"Stealing." Malpen replied sharply as he set the candlestick down and drew his knife from his belt. The Gray Fox laughed quietly so as not to wake the residents. "You think you can take me on? You are a child challenging a master."

"I know I cannot take you on, but I'm not going down without a fight." The Gray Fox smiled slyly from beneath his cowl as he drew his own knife and set it on the ground.

The Gray Fox said "I am not here to kill you. When your name started to fill the streets, I had to see if you truly lived up to your rumored prowess. You do." Robin Hood's clenched hand became limp at hearing these words come out of the Gray Fox's mouth.

"Your thieving philosophy is quite different from mine, however. You give to the poor far more than I do. Cyrodiil is my territory, not yours. Because of this, you are giving the Thieves Guild false glory and I don't like that. There is one breed of thieves here and there is no room for another. But I see you have skill and aptitude that I would hate to see go to waste. I am here to make you an offer that you'd be a fool to pass up." The Gray Fox stopped, studying Robin Hood closely as he clenched the hilt of his knife tighter.

"What offer do you see me worthy of?" The Gray Fox's smile grows wide as he bears his pearly white teeth from beneath the cowl.

"Join my guild. Become one of us. Allow me to mentor you in the ways of thieving. Then when I pass you may lead my guild. What say you?" Malpen's mouth ran dry of words at that moment. All he could do was nod his head. That simple nod led Malpen to a life of wealth. He was allowed to give to the poor as much as he pleased because now that he was a part of the Guild, the Guild was not receiving false glory. The Gray Fox taught Malpen everything he knew from sneaking to bartering to leading. But Robin Hood and the Gray Fox differed in some ways. Whereas the Gray Fox bribed the city's guards, Malpen refused to do so. Malpen gave far more of his riches to the poor than the Gray Fox did which left him as the poorest thief in the Guild, but he did not care. And ultimately, the Gray Fox offered Nocturnal's cowl to Malpen when he was on his deathbed, but Malpen refused it. Malpen promised to keep it safe and to give it to someone who deserved it, but he would never wear it. His pride in his skill was too great to allow him to wear an artifact of a Daedric Prince.

And so the Gray Fox ceased to be for a short time. That is until an Imperial woman named Valatta caught Malpen's eye. She was the most beautiful creature he ever laid eyes on. Her thieving skills were only a bonus when he welcomed her into the guild. She was perfect in his eyes and the best thief in all of Tamriel. They soon married and about a year into the marriage they had a son. Valatta named him Lucret. Which some of the guild members thought it strange that Malpen had no say in the name of his own son. Their wondering quickly vanished when Valatta announced she was pregnant again just two weeks after the birth of Lucret. She gave birth to a daughter who Malpen named Adrari.

It was strange how the brother and sister were. From the moment of Lucret's birth, he dreaded to be held in his father's arms. In Valatta's arms he was content. Adrari, on the other hand, was content in her mother's arms but thrilled to be held by her father.

This strange division led to a startling discovery of Valatta. She hated the poor. She would not give a septim to them nor defend them. What was worse was that the guild's members found themselves torn between Valatta and Malpen. Even though Malpen was Guild Master, Valatta was strangely influential. Half sided with her and the other half sided with him. No fighting or bloodshed occurred, but the tension between the striking philosophies was enough to tear the brother and sister apart. While Lucret found himself embracing his mother's philosophy, Adrari followed in her father's shadow as much as she could. The Guild slowly began to crumble not in wealth, but in trust between each member.

Malpen knew that his demise was coming soon, but who, when and where was hard to tell. He did not dwell on it, though, as he continued to plan and execute robberies. He also busied himself with teaching Adrari the use of the bow and the skills necessary to grooming a great thief.

To Malpen's great disapproval, Adrari began practicing illusion spells, a school of magic in which Valatta was a master in. He could not deny her skill in it, however. She had the making of a great illusionist in her. Adrari had the power within her to either bring about a great deal of good in the world…or a great deal of evil. So Malpen devoted himself to teaching Adrari to do good and no evil. He often scoffed at the idea – a thief with a good heart?! But he taught her anyways for fear of her turning into Valatta.


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys. I just wanted to thank those who read this story and put me on their alerts list! Thanks again and I hope you enjoy this. Constructive Criticism is welcome as always. This is different from the Thieves Guild Questline, but this is my spin on it. Well, sit back, relax, and enjoy the read. On a quick sidenote, I changed Malpen's last name because I came up with the idea today. :)**

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Chapter 1

Seven years pass since the day Adrari was born and Malpen already sees much of Valatta in her – her dark hair, brown eyes and soft features. She still has much of the baby fat that she was born with, but soon that will slowly melt away to shape a beautiful, strong woman. It's only a matter of time.

Lucret is very distant from him, always spending time with his mother and learning her ways. The eight year old is a sturdy one, though, with a clear passion for thieving. Lucret's blue eyes are quick in picking out pockets loaded with coin. As for Lucret and Adrari, their relationship is much like that of a brother and sister. They play together, fight with each other, nag each other and love each other like siblings do. The rivalry between Malpen and Valatta does not stop them.

Malpen feels his demise approaching closer with each passing day. For the past eight years he's kept his eye on every single member in the guild, just waiting for one to pull out a knife and stab him in the back. He always keeps himself on guard, a knife on his belt just in case one of the guild members decides to do it. It's so hard to live this way with him always on the lookout, expecting every person that passes him trying to kill him.

* * *

Outside the waterfront is calm and the sun starts to rise, warming the stone of the streets to pleasant warmth. People awaken, leave their homes and go about their business, not much concern for whatever this day may bring. It's a normal day. It's like any other day. This flows through Malpen's mind as he pours over the plans he just finished drawing. They're good plans. The target is a visiting, rich merchant who spits on every beggar who asks him for coin. Well, he's got a nasty surprise coming his way. And Malpen's not doing this job alone.

He was able to contact Delvin Mallory in Skyrim by way of Courier. Mallory agreed to come down with several others from Skyrim's Thieves Guild if the loot was split accordingly to each participant. Malpen quickly agreed, eager to see his older brother, Gallus. The two of them had parted ways the night the Gray Fox offered Malpen a place in his Guild. He had never seen Gallus since, only which he communicated with him through the yearly letter. So Malpen is going to make today as normal as it can possibly be.

Malpen rolls up the plans and reaches for the desk drawer, but stops when he feels a tug on his pant leg. Looking down he sees little Adrari standing there, a wide smile pushing up her chubby cheeks. "What are you doing, Da?" A smile crosses his face as he kneels to his daughter's height. "I've got another job today…and I've got a big surprise for you."

"What is it?! What is it?!" Adrari jumps up and down with excitement, her balled fists close to her face. Malpen laughs at the young girl's excitement. "Not what, but who." He corrects. Adrari stops midair as her smile melts to a furrowed brow. "What do you mean, father?"

"You'll see. Now go practice with your bow. I want you to be able to hit the dummy square in the chest when I get back." Adrari groans as she turns and says disappointedly "Yes, father." The little girl trots off, picking up the small bow and quiver filled with arrows at her bedside and running off to the training room. She enters the room filled with dummies, some on the ground and some nailed high to the way. She looks about her, the hay in the dummies not tempting enough to pierce with an arrow. She sets the quiver and bow at her feet and straightens her back, holding out her petite hands before her and splaying her skinny digits.

Her arm muscles contract painfully. She yelps as her hands shoot to both her arms, trying to soothe the tight muscles by rubbing them.

"My little girl," In a rush of purple light, Valatta appears out of thin air before Adrari. "if you wish to become as good as me you must endure the pain." She kneels and takes Adrari hands in hers, rubbing the backs of them with her thumbs. "It can be painful at first, I know, but you must grow the strength necessary to cast the spell and to maintain the spell over an extended period of time." Adrari watches closely as her mother releases her hands and stands up. Valatta spreads her fingers apart as brilliant blue strands of light circle about each hand. Just seeing this brings a strange sense of calm to her. Despite the pain, Adrari raises her hands and brings forth the same blue strands about hers. Valatta smiles softly as she praises "That's my girl. You do not need the bow. Illusion is a thief's only true friend. You can bend the minds of others to your will. When you pick pockets, you can keep your target calm. When you need to penetrate through many armed guards to get to a prized jewel, you can slip past them by making yourself invisible. And when you need a distraction, you only need to make the target angry at another."

The blue light vanishes from Valatta's hands as she lowers them. Adrari follows suit by lowering her hands, the blue light dissipating into the air. Valatta smiles, her intention deep within her greedy heart. She only teaches Adrari these things to spite Malpen. Ever since Valatta seduced him with her magic, she had one gem in mind – Nocturnal's Cowl. Valatta would have taken it by now had it not been locked away by the best of Dwemer locks. So she awaits the chance.

* * *

Malpen shuts the hatch door tight behind him and emerges onto the bright streets. He lowers his hood, concealing his identity as Robin Hood. He looks to be another citizen of the Imperial City. As he stands in daylight, he notices a group of five people standing along the Waterfront, their backs to the street – four men and one Dunmer woman by the looks of it. One man turns around and his gaze lands on Malpen. By the nine. Malpen is frozen in his steps as the black haired Imperial jogs up to him. His sharp features bear a look of disbelief as he stops before Malpen and mutters "Malpen? Brother?"

"Gallus." Malpen breathes out the name, the sound of it foreign to him. He hasn't spoken the name aloud for the past fifteen years.

"Yes, brother." Gallus' eyes became glassy with tears as the two embrace. The other four approach, keeping a good yard between them and the two brothers out of respect. A brief smile flashes across Delvin's face as his mind wonders about what his brother, Glover, is doing at this moment – probably perfecting his recipe on bonemold armor.

After a long moment of embracing, Malpen pulls away and shakes his head of the shock. He will make this day as normal as possible, though the odds of this are nonexistent. Gallus rubs his eyes clean of tears and turns to the other four standing patiently behind him. "I would like you to meet my associates." He holds his hand out to a Breton with shaggy, brown hair and a round face. "This is Mercer Frey, my Second-in-Command." Malpen bows his head to Mercer to which Mercer also bows his head out of respect for the Great Robin Hood. Gallus then points to a smaller, much younger Nord boy with long red hair, starting to grow his first chin hairs. "This is Mercer's apprentice, Brynjolf."

Malpen bows his head to the young lad and greets "Hello, Brynjolf. Are you good at what you do?"

Brynjolf smiles as he cockily replies "The best, Sir." Mercer quickly reprimands him. "Watch it, Bryn. Over-confidence will get you in prison." Brynjolf's smile fades as Gallus agrees "That's right. Believe it or not, humility is a trait that got me to where I am today. You best start learning it." The boy nods as he takes a small step back, the embarrassment of his words weighing over his head. Gallus shifts his hand to the other Breton. "And I think you know who this is." "Oh, yes. How are you, Delvin?" Malpen inquires. "Quite well, actually. I don't understand why Vex doesn't like me, though." Malpen and Gallus laugh together in unison. "Ah yes, Vex, Vex, Vex. Quite the woman, that one." Malpen says as he remembers his past dealings with Vex. She had once came asking for any Stones of Barenziah, but even Malpen hadn't laid eyes on one. They've also ran two jobs together, but other than that, that's all he ever seen of her.

"And finally," Gallus moves his hand to the Dunmer. Malpen is immediately taken aback by her striking beauty, especially her amethyst eyes. "this is Karliah, my…other apprentice aside from Mercer…if you will." With a quiver of arrows and a bow strapped about her torso, Malpen finds himself even more ensnared by her beauty as she nods in respect to him. "I admire your skill with the bow. I was hoping in my stay here that you might teach me some things." She asks her voice soft and polite, yet slightly seductive…by the Nine, she's beautiful.

"I-I am honored that you admire my skill. I would love to show some things." Just as these last words flow out of Malpen's mouth, he realizes how bad this sounds. He looks from Gallus to her, both of them showing no signs of the meaning he thought of. Thank the Gods.

"Well, shall we get started on the job?" Gallus interrupts the silence aside from the distant chatter in the market area. "Yes, I have the plans at my desk. If you come with me, please, I'll explain everything to you."

Malpen leads the five to the hatch and opens it. They descend down the ladder one at a time, Malpen climbing down behind Mercer. Malpen's feet hit solid ground as he shows them the whole Cistern, the main headquarters of the Thieves Guild in the Imperial City. Beds surround the entire dome shaped room with seven hallways leading to more quarters, two training rooms and one huge vault filled with the Guild's treasure locked safely behind a Dwemer door. "This place is bigger than the Ragged Flagon." Brynjolf notes upon observing the Guild members milling about, one of them passing the six and going out the hatch most likely to complete a job. "Yes, Malpen. You've got yourself a great Guild down here." Gallus compliments.

Malpen puts on a fake grin as he sees Valatta exit the training room with Adrari at her side. Valatta looks to Malpen with a scornful look on her face as she ushers Adrari along with her. "Hmmph." Malpen contains his anger towards Valatta as he turns away and leads the five to his desk. They surround the desk, Gallus taking his brother's left side as he pulls out the plans from his desk and unrolls the paper before them.

"Here's the plan. This wealthy merchant is transporting a bust of the Gray Fox along with a chest full of septims…my scouts tell me about eighteen thousand septims is in the chest."

"That's three thousand septims each." Karliah notes.

"Precisely. If we can successfully rob this merchant of his merchandise, we all walk away from this three thousand septims richer."

"That's good. Let's go!" Brynjolf turns excitedly, but Mercer grabs hold of his shoulder armor. "Where do you think you're going?!" Brynjolf shakes out of Mercer's grip and turns to face him. "I'm going to get my share of loot!"

"Hold on, Brynjolf. There's more to this plan than meets the eye." Gallus says as he looks to Malpen's plans and to Malpen.

"Right. You see, this merchant wouldn't be travelling with this kind of loot alone. He has about twelve mercenaries guarding his caravan. I am not looking to shed any blood so we have to lift the chest and the bust of the Gray Fox out of his camp without him and any of his mercenaries knowing." Brynjolf smirks as he crosses his arms. "And how exactly does the Great Robin Hood plan to do that?" It's quite clear that Brynjolf has never run a job of this scale before.

"He's new with this." Gallus admits. "He's quite headstrong, but he has the makings of a thief in him. I just need to guide him down the right path."

"Hear that, Bryn?" Mercer asks with a deeper, lower voice. "Listen to your Mentor or end up on your arse!" The young lad immediately pipes down after Mercer scolds him. Brynjolf either really respects Mercer…or really fears him. That much Malpen can tell.

"Here's how I plan to avoid spilling blood. He will be on his way to Bruma. Delvin and I will approach him in broad daylight and offer him and his men some bread filled with a strong sedative. They'll have no choice but to take it because the only food available to him will be the bread we offer."

"How's that possible?" Mercer asks. Malpen smiles slyly as he replies "I've charted out his course and the potential farms and Inns he could buy food from. Right now the farmers and Inn Keepers think he's a Travelling Jester. You know how Imperials view Jesters. Don't show them any kindness because they could be masquerading as Jesters to transport skooma." Gallus laughs as he pats Malpen on the back. "Well done, brother. Take away your target's resources. I like that."

Malpen smiles as he continues "And so when Delvin and I provide him and his hungry mercenaries with food, they will fall asleep and we can take the loot easily. We don't have to even be quiet about it." Malpen looks from Gallus to Mercer to Brynjolf, Delvin and Karliah, happy to see the looks of astonishment on their faces.

"That's one damn good plan." Delvin states.

"What are we waiting for?" Karliah asks. The six of them prepare to leave, packing the bread filled with the sedative and any potions and weapons they may need to hack down the common wolf pack or stray on their way to this merchant. Valatta observes the six from the other far end of the Cistern, her eyes especially on the Breton called Mercer Frey. There's something about him that Valatta has in herself. What it is she can't exactly pinpoint, but she sees how Mercer keeps eyeing the Dwemer lock concealing the Cowl.

Lucret comes to her side, seeing how she watches Mercer's movements like a hawk. "What are you doing, mother?" She smiles at the sound of her son's voice. "Sizing up my target."


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey, guys! Here's the second chapter! I'm still working on setting up the plot, so the action is going to begin really soon! Just hang in there! This chapter is more focused on the characters and how they are as people. So, yeah. I just wanted to thank all those who put this story on their alert list and to my first reviewer, MissFabulous09! You guys are amazing and I hope you find this just as enjoyable as the rest of the story. Constructive Criticism is always welcome. Alright, enough talk. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the read. :).**

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Chapter 2

As Malpen kneels and gathers the last of his healing potions, he hears soft footsteps approach behind him. He turns on his padded knees to see Adrari come to stop before him, her large brown eyes wide with sadness. "You're leaving now?" She asks. His heart nearly breaks as the tears start to well in her eyes. Even though he's never told her, she knows his death is inevitable. How can one not tell when all they've known is deadly tension between their parents? It's only a matter of time.

Malpen takes her in his arms and holds her close. "I'm leaving now -" Adrari pulls back from her father in terror, but he quickly calms her. "but I'll be back."

"When?" She asks past the lump that has formed in her small throat. "Two days, but no more than that. Maybe less." Malpen gives her a hopeful smile. He doesn't want to leave her in tears. She sniffs and smiles back, the tears slowly slipping down her tan cheeks.

"You promise?"

"With all my heart." He draws an imaginary 'X' over his heart which makes her smile even wider. Reaching up, he wipes her tears from both cheeks with his thumb.

"Malpen, you ready?" Gallus asks as he approaches the two. Malpen smiles widely, wanting to change her seven year old mind to a different, more cheerful topic. "Ah, Adrari, remember that surprise I was telling you about?" She nods as she looks to her father.

"This is who the surprise is. This is your Uncle, Gallus." Malpen motions to the Imperial who stops in front of Adrari and kneels to her height. "Hello, Adrari." Gallus greets as he holds his hand out for her. She laughs as she slips out of Malpen's arms and jumps onto Gallus, wrapping her arms tight about his neck, nearly strangling him. "Uncle Gallus! Uncle Gallus!" She chants her mind successfully off of her father's departure and on a family member she has never met before.

"That's right!" Gallus laughs as he wraps both arms around her small body and eases her from him. He smiles as he rubs her head, messing up her neatly brushed hair. "This is my first time meeting you. By the Gods, you look nothing like your father." Adrari draws back a step as she crosses her arms.

"Really?" She scrutinizes him. "Why?" She pushes further. "Because you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, yet your father is…maaaeh, that's why." Adrari laughs with Gallus as Malpen casts him an offended look. "Thanks, brother. You are so kind." Malpen retorts. "Don't thank me just yet. You are still young. You will become uglier as you grow older." Malpen snorts as Gallus and Adrari laugh even harder. Shaking her head, Adrari stands in front of Malpen, her head just beneath his hips.

"He's pretty just the way he is. Stop teasing him, Uncle Gallus." She warns, trying to be threatening but the smile on her face making her look that much more adorable. The air that is usually tight with tension is now loose with laughter. Malpen moves his head without effort, but his eyes land on the silhouette standing on the opposite side of the cistern as still as a statue – Valatta. The air about him tightens again and he forces himself to look away with neck muscles aching. She's watching them. What is she thinking? What is she planning? These questions frighten him as his eyes land on the back of Adrari's messy hair. Her and her Uncle converse as Malpen begins to wonder how much worse life would have been if he didn't have little Adrari. His daughter has brought him more smiles in her short seven years than his entire Guild has the past fifteen years. He loves his son, but he rarely speaks to him. The last time the two spoke was about a month ago and it was concerning how much coin the Guild had pulled in this year. Nothing about what either was up to, what they felt, what they had experienced. His son is a distant shadow like Valatta. Adrari and the Gray Fox have been the only ones to give Malpen any real light.

"Well, you ready, Malpen?" Gallus' voice rings in his ears and draws him out of his thoughts. Composing himself and picking his satchel, he replies "Yes. We should be off." Gallus smiles briefly and spins on his heels, motioning for the other four to follow. The four rise from their seats on the crates and follow Malpen and Gallus out of the hatch and into broad daylight. Malpen waits as Brynjolf climbs out and closes the hatch behind him.

Malpen straightens up and motions for the five. "Follow me."

* * *

Valatta steps forth from the shadow, Lucret close behind her. "What are you planning, Ma?" Valatta looks down to Lucret with a soft smile. "I think I might tag along with them. They might…" She looks away, a devious glint in her eyes. "need help." She grabs her dagger from her desk and fastens it about her waist. A dagger is the only weapon she needs. "Goodbye, my son. Stay here and spar with Martin."

"Yes, Mother." Lucret turns to find Martin. "Cinda, you have the Guild until I get back." Valatta calls out as she heads for the hatch. "Yes, boss." Cinda takes control and keeps everyone working while Valatta exits through the hatch and keeps to the shadows, following close behind the six.

She follows them into the forest as they take the road to Bruma, keeping herself hidden in the brush. As she keeps following behind, she thinks to herself how she should screw up the job for them and bend Mercer to her will. The blade at Gallus' side bears the bird of Nocturnal. Could Nightingales be real? If the Nightingales are real and if he is a Nightingale, then perfect. Gallus has direct access to Nocturnal's skeleton key. A bonus would be that she makes Malpen look bad before the five. Before she starts thinking of the reward of this plan, she must first study and observe them. What is Mercer's relationship to Gallus? To Brynjolf? How does he treat Karliah if faced with a life or death situation? These traits can easily be discovered if something were to attack them. What, though? Looking about her, she spots a mountain lion way up ahead resting atop a boulder. She can see it, but the six can't see him because of the brush lining both sides of the cobblestone road. Perfect.

Moving closer to it, she makes herself invisible with one hand while red strands of light circle about her other hand. Pouring all her anger and agitation into the red spell she casts it in the direction of the peaceful mountain lion. The red ball of light sails through the air and passes through leaves like a ghost. Just as the lion goes to lay down its strong head, the light enters into the lion's mind and heart. It rises up from the rock quickly, it's claws shooting from its paws as it bellows, bearing its long and sharp teeth. The lion leaps from the rock and charges through the brush, searching for any organism to unleash its fury upon. Malpen continues walking, unaware of the danger now closing in on him. Just as Malpen takes another step, a tan blur jumps out of the bush with a roar. As the blur stops and turns to face the six, they see the mountain lion with all its strength and determination to kill. Malpen quickly pulls his bow over his head as the lion leaps at him. The lion knocks Malpen back with tremendous power, smacking the back of his head against the stone. His vision blurry, he struggles against the lion with his bow. It's the only thing stopping the lion's teeth from ripping out his throat.

The lion suddenly screeches as the weight on the bow lifts. "Damn lion!" Gallus kicks the creature in the side, throwing it off of Malpen. It lands right beside Malpen on its back. Just as the lion struggles to its feet, Karliah releases an arrow into its front right leg. The lion cries out again, but charges at her as it does so, the arrow doing little damage to it. She yelps as she starts to back away. Just as the lion goes to leap, Mercer steps in front of Karliah, a dwarven knife in hand. Valatta watches as he does this. He's risking his own life to keep Karliah out of the lion's reach. She watches intently as the lion leans back, preparing to leap. But then Brynjolf jumps onto the lion, knocking it off its feet and crashing it on its side. He starts to wrestle with the lion in an attempt to pin him down, but the powerful beast overpowers the teen, throwing him off its body and pinning Brynjolf to the ground in the blink of an eye. He struggles in vain to keep the lion from tearing out his own throat. In anger the lion raises its paw and slashes him across the left side of his face, leaving a gush of blood in its wake. Delvin then launches his own weight at the lion, knocking it off of Brynjolf and on its side again. Malpen and Gallus run to Brynjolf's aid as Mercer and Karliah move forward to help Delvin. Karliah nocks another arrow and quickly releases it. This time it penetrates the lion's thick neck, but the sharp tip hits solid bone, therefore not travelling very deep. As Karliah pulls another arrow from her quiver, Mercer leaps at the mountain lion and successfully knocks it off of Delvin.

Mercer now wrestles with the lion, realizing he's the third person to wrestle with the beast. By the Gods, does this animal have no weakness?! Mercer cries out in anger as the lion successfully overpowers him. It pins Mercer beneath it and opens its jaws wide. As it comes down, Mercer's arm shoots up to protect himself. The lion's teeth clamp down on his brown leathered gauntlet, piercing through leather, flesh, and slowly crushing bone.

Karliah continues releasing arrow after arrow into the beast, hoping to subdue it with quantity. Then suddenly, Karliah's dark hand shoots back for another arrow, but her fingers grip air. She cries out and moves to hit the creature with her bow, but Mercer cries out "Don't, Karliah!" She steps back, a look of desperation and horror on her face. Mercer tries to blind the creature with his free hand, but it closes its eyes and bites harder, drawing more blood and crushing more bone.

Delvin tries to stab the creature, but it rocks its weight at Delvin and pushes him to the ground, knocking him unconscious, while keeping his jaws clamped on Mercer's right forearm. With Karliah unable to do any damage, Delvin unconscious, Brynjolf wounded, Malpen still recovering from his head slam and Mercer locked in battle with the creature, only one person could help him.

"Gallus!" Mercer cries out. "Gallus, help me!" Mercer looks to Gallus as Gallus looks to him and back to an unconscious Brynjolf. Malpen is also tending to Brynjolf, but with shaky hands. "Gallus, please!" Mercer pleads as the beast bites harder and harder, unrelenting despite the sixteen arrows sticking out of its back and sides. Gallus shakes his head and returns to Brynjolf, unheeding to his friend's pleas. A sudden feeling of abandonment overcomes Mercer. Every time Gallus has called for help, Mercer came to his aid, but now that Mercer is the one in need, Gallus refuses to help him. Mercer would understand if it was only Gallus attending to Brynjolf's wounds, but there's Karliah and Malpen. Then anger slips into his heart. Anger at Gallus, anger at Karliah as she still stands there, stun keeping her from moving. And with this anger Mercer musters the strength to push his thumb into the beast's eye. The eye's juices soak his thumb as the lion releases Mercer's arm and screeches in pain.

With the creature temporarily disoriented Mercer kicks it off him, gets to his feet, draws his dwarven sword and plunges it into the lion's side. It cries out as Mercer pulls the crimson coated tip out and stabs it again, this time hitting solid stone. Mercer angrily twists and turns the blade, churning the creature's insides and grinding the stone. The beast howls, whimpers and finally, finally falls limp. Even beyond the creature's death, Mercer stabs it repeatedly, getting all his anger out with each piercing move.

"Mercer!" Karliah shouts. He doesn't hear her as he continues to stab it. "Mercer! Mercer! It's dead! It's dead!" Karliah takes a step back as Mercer stops mid plunge. "It's dead." Mercer mutters darkly as he wipes his blade on a clean spot of the creature's coat. He sheathes the sword and his dagger and turns to Gallus. Gallus looks to Mercer, shock widening his chiseled features. Mercer wants to yell at Gallus, ask him why he didn't help him, but his heart now aches at the fact his dear friend whom he trusted with his life did not help him. His heart aches too much for words as Mercer walks to Delvin to help him to his feet.

As the six recover and help an unconscious Delvin and a wounded Brynjolf to the nearest healer, Valatta sees how she can use this to her advantage. She can use Mercer's pain to her advantage. Before she can do anything, though, she has to confirm that the Nightingales are real. If so, she also has to confirm that Gallus is a Nightingale. If he is a Nightingale she then can convince Mercer to betray Nocturnal and get her skeleton key. Once he gets the skeleton key, then he can unlock the vault so she can retrieve the cowl. It would be so much easier if Malpen would just surrender his key to her, but because half the Guild is on his side he's untouchable. If this plan goes accordingly, though, he won't be untouchable.

* * *

Valatta returns to the Guild and enters through the hatch, closing it behind her. Rushing to her desk, she unlocks the bottom drawer and pulls out her research notes. She has gone around all of Skyrim, searching for the barest whisper of the Nightingales existence, but found very little evidence to support it. Gallus' blade is the strongest evidence that he is a Nightingale. Then again, that could be just the design of his side. It's worth the shot to try and find out, though.

Valatta prepares herself, eating and drinking enough so that she has the strength to use magic to make Gallus tell the truth.


End file.
